This section is for those things that are considered
comfort foods on the trail. It will consist of a collection of emails , recipes, and ideas from
those that have been on the trail and know how to eat well.
These will be presented in the words of the people submitting them.

Walks,
I'm afraid mine isn't so much a recipe as some "stuff".
I take a mix of raisins and nutmeats (usually pecan or walnuts), an
apple or two and a chunk of cheese. That is pretty much it for a day
hike.
If it is an overnight trip, a double handful of split peas, a carrot and
some jerky is my favorite evening meal. Breakfast is whatever was left
over from supper or maybe a little cracked oats boiled with a little of
the raisin/nut mix.
Hope that helps,
YMOS,
jp

Hello WIS and all............
When I'm on a trek of a day or two, I usually just take raisins and peanuts
along with some parched wild rice. I much prefer the parched rice over corn
BTW... In cooler weather, I may take some cheese and some homemade sausage.
Usually have some jerky also.
My recipe for homemade sausage is as follows:

Combine ingredients very well and roll into 4 rolls. Wrap in Saran Wrap;
refigerate for 24 hours. Cook in broiler pan (pan with holes for dripping
grease) in oven for two hours at 250 degrees. Let cool and rewrap in Saran
Wrap. Keep refrigerated.
Although refrigeration is recommended, I have had it in my pack for a couple
of days in cool weather and haven't had any problems.

These are my usual trail foods for cold eating. For a long day in the
woods I would pack 1 item from each group. A modest handful of each is
plenty. These are all eat-it-cold-in-the-woods foods, so on a cold day
it is real important to add enough hot beverage material for a good hot
drink every 2 hours. In the heat of summer I do tend to choose carrots
rather than a meat item. In my 9-5 life lunch is my biggest meal so in
my woods walks I'll eat about 1/2 of what I'm carrying for lunch. The
rest is nibbled here and there during the afternoon and evening.
See you in the woods. YOS, Sue Mathieu

QUICK SPINACH
Make this recipe with spinach or chickweed or lamb's lettuce or lamb's quarters or nettles. With spinach wash and shake off as much water as posslble because a great deal of water will come out of the spinach itself during cooking. Do not cut the spinach. With the other plants, add a half cup of water after washing, and again, do not cut the leaves. After cooking, the dish can be kept in the oven for a few minutes. It will retain its green colour and flavour. If you dislike "spinach", you will enjoy a new, favourful taste.
This recipe is not so much a take along meal but one that can be made from forage.

· 1 full tsp salt
· 3 tbsps oil or
· 2 heaping tbsps lard

1. Heat oil or lard in skillet until hot.
2. Add spinach or other greens and salt,
3. Stir and turn for 3 minutes and it is done.

PORRIDGEA hot meal on the trail can mean the difference between comfort or just eating.
To Scots, porridge is the Scottish dish. It is weighed down with traditions; to cook, it must be stirred clockwise with the right hand, using a spurtle or theevil; a straight round wooden stick like a wooden spoon with half one side of the spoon cut off. It must be eaten standing up, from a birchwood bowl with a horn spoon with separate milk or cream bowls into which each spoonful is dipped. Salt may be added, but not sugar (styled an English affectation). Many Highland people sprinkle raw oatmeal on top of each bowlful to help it "stick to the stomach", to lengthen the time until one has to eat again. Oatmeal "scrubs" the bowels; bowel cancer is almost unknown where oatmeal is eaten. To make porridge creamier, cook with half water, half milk. Porridge is served much runnier in Scotland than elsewhere in Britain, where it is almost paste-like because of using a larger flake oatmeal.

· 1/4 cup medium oatmeal
· 1 cup water
· pinch of salt

1. Boil water in a saucepan until bubbling.
2. Add oatmeal in constant stream with left hand while stirring with right.
3. Continue stirring while bringing back to boil to avoid sticking.
4. Once boiling, pull half off heat, cover, simmer very gently for about 10 minutes.
5. Add salt, stir in, cover again, simmer very gently for about another 10 minutes.
6. When porridge is as thick as desired, serve hot.

Heat the water and butter in a saucepan over medium high heat until boiling.
While the water and butter are boiling, put the cornmeal, salt, and sugar into a mixing bowl.
Pour the boiling butter, water mixture into the mixing bowl. Add the milk and stir the batter until it is well mixed.
Grease the skillet with butter. Then heat over medium-low heat.
Drop 6 spoonfuls of batter into the skillet. Let the cakes cook about 5 minutes, until they are golden brown. Turn the cakes over and let cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and keep warm if to be eaten while hot. Drop a spoonfull of butter into the skillet and let melt. Tilt the skillet to coat with melted butter. Cook the remainder of the cakes following the above method until all batter is used up. When the cakes are cooked, serve with the applebutter, honey, or syrup.
If not to be used right away, cool and store in a dry, cool place. These cakes travel well for several days un-refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease the cookie sheet with butter.
Measure the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a bowl and mix well.
Put the egg whites into another bowl and beat them with a fork. Stir in a few nuts and remove. Roll the nuts in the sugar and spice mix. Place the nuts on the cookie sheet. Prepare the remaining nuts the same way.
Bake the spiced nuts for 20 minutes. Let cool. Serve or store for trail food . These keep for several days.

Greetings WIS,
Seems the list is a little slow now, but I'll be glad to throw my "two
cents worth" at you.
Depending on the type of event and duration, I usually take different
provisions with me. For short treks (day or two), I usually take rice,
parched corn and/or rice and some jerky. Usually cook the rice in a corn
boiler. Have also "survived" for four days on peanuts and raisons. One thing
I have started doing lately is using a food dehydrater and drying various
foods for a stew. I like dried tomatoes, potatoes, celery, carrots and
various other items that I can dry and store in small muslin bags. Dried
refried beans is good for a thickener and also adds variety. Dried fruits
are also good. Bananas, peaches, apples, apricots, etc. are a welcome treat.
At rendezvous, my favorite meal is a cornish game hen cooked on a
"squirrel cooker". If I carry my dutch oven, I coat them with butter and add
some cajan seasoning and cook them in the dutch oven. For this, I put four
stones in the bottom of my dutch oven and put my tin plate in it to keep the
hens off of the bottom. Add a small amount of water and it keeps them from
burning. Another side dish I enjoy is made with a can of cream style corn, a
can of hominy. To this I add bell pepper and chopped onion. Cook over low
heat and add a double hand full of cheese and stir well before serving.
I hope others reply to your query. I'd enjoy hearing what others have to
say. Take care my friend.
John Fluhmann
Tunkasila Nite Owanyangsica

"J. Fluhmann" wrote:
> At rendezvous, my favorite meal is a cornish game hen cooked on a
> "squirrel cooker".
And I thought I was the only one that ate "squirrely" game hens... quail
works the same way!
Mine are prepared by chicken winging the wings, inserting the fork in
the body cavity, poking it into the breast, tossing salt, pepper and
butter inside the cavity, then tying the legs together, including the
shaft of the squirrel cooker in the wraps.
Roast until the juices run clear and the wings droop, Roast 10 more
minutes, turning often and then eat. (Campfire roasted ears of corn go
well as a side dish)
How do you do it?
YMOS,
jp

THE ULTIMATE TRAIL MIX

What more could you want--jerky, beer nuts and pickles? This combination was a unanimous hit. Sweet and/or dill pickles are cut into small (1/4 - 1/2-inch) pieces and dried until chewy. Ground meat jerky is my first choice for this recipe because it's easier to chew. Vary the ingredients depending on your personal preferences.

The recipe is always the same: "Just add water." Since the dried ingredients for this hearty backpacked stew weighs only 4 ounces, you can afford to bring along a fresh carrot for crunch.
****I assemble all of the ingredients ahead of time in one package ( WIS )****

In a large saucepan, combine 3 cups of the water and all ingredients except carrot and rice. Let sit for 30 minutes to rehydrate.
Place pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add carrot, if using. Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, until jerky is tender. Meanwhile, combine rice with remaining water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes to rehydrate. Return to boil, partially cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 to 30 minutes.
Serve hot stew over cooked rice. Serves 2 to 4, depending on how far you hiked.